Ph.D.

Ph.D. Journey

Research as a long-form practice, not just a finish line.

Doctoral work is shown through the current degree plan: January 7, 2022 program start, 60 required credits, 27 satisfied, foundations complete, and core, prospectus, and dissertation phases still ahead.

Doctoral Brief

The degree plan gives the section a concrete academic shape.

The current degree plan gives the doctoral work concrete shape: a live computer science program, clear credit structure, completed coursework, and the prospectus and dissertation sequence ahead.

It connects technical depth, method, and patient academic progress to the wider professional story.

Program Snapshot

Institution

National University

Degree Program

Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science

Field

Computer Science

Program Start Date

January 7, 2022

Current Progress

27 of 60 required credits satisfied

Plan Structure

3 foundations / 42 core and research methods / 3 prospectus / 12 dissertation research

Current Standing

The degree plan shows foundations satisfied, core and research methods underway at 24 of 42 credits satisfied, one current course, and the prospectus and dissertation sequence still ahead.

Degree Plan

A degree map that can be explored instead of merely read.

The current plan shows completed, current, remaining, and requirement-specific progress in one view.

Credit Mix

Degree composition

Completed credits, one current course, and the prospectus-to-dissertation path in one place.

Selected lane

Completed

27 credits

45% of mapped composition

Fully earned credits already recorded on the current degree plan.

These 27 credits reflect the satisfied foundations block and the completed portion of core and research-method coursework, including TIM-7101.

Open completed coursework

Progress Summary

The doctorate now has a cleaner status readout.

What is complete, what is current, and what still sits ahead after the TIM-7101 update.

27 / 60

Credits satisfied

Completed coursework now includes TIM-7101 Statistics with Technology Applications.

Current credits

TIM-8150 Artificial Intelligence remains the current 3-credit coursework item on the plan.

Credits remaining

The unfinished path includes five core and research-method courses, the prospectus, and dissertation research.

Completed courses

The completed coursework list now includes nine doctoral courses, with TIM-7101 as the latest addition.

Status Credits Detail

Completed 27

Foundations plus completed core and research-method coursework through TIM-7101.

Current 3

TIM-8150 Artificial Intelligence remains the current coursework item on the plan.

Still ahead 30

Five unfinished core and methods courses, CMP-9701CS prospectus, and DIS-9100A through DIS-9400A.

Coursework & Sequence

The current plan gives the section a real academic map.

Completed coursework, current coursework, remaining core courses, and the formal dissertation sequence are separated for scanning.

Completed & Recorded

Coursework already reflected on the current plan.

TIM-8101 Principles of Computer Science (recorded 04/15/2019)
TIM-8110 Programming Languages & Algorithms (04/03/2022)
TIM-7010 Management of Computer Networks (07/13/2023)
TIM-8122 Distributed Algorithms and Parallel Computing (08/27/2024)
TIM-7020 Databases & Business Intelligence (01/06/2025)
TIM-8131 Data Mining (04/29/2025)
TIM-8301 Principles of Cybersecurity (09/03/2025)
TIM-7031 Managing Risk, Security and Privacy in Information Systems (12/02/2025)
TIM-7101 Statistics with Technology Applications

Current Coursework

Coursework currently active on the present plan.

TIM-8150 Artificial Intelligence remains listed as current coursework on the plan.

Remaining Core & Methods

The work still ahead inside the 42-credit core and research-methods block.

TIM-8140 Software Engineering
TIM-7211 Introduction to Research Design and Methodology for Technology Leaders
TIM-7221 Quantitative Research Design for Technology Leaders
TIM-7225 Directed Quantitative Research
TIM-8190 Computer Science Policy & Strategy

Prospectus & Dissertation

The formal sequence that follows the current coursework phase.

CMP-9701CS Pre-Candidacy Prospectus for Computer Science
DIS-9100A Components of the Dissertation Proposal
DIS-9200A Completing the Dissertation Proposal
DIS-9300A Data Collection and Analysis
DIS-9400A The Dissertation Manuscript and Defense

Prospectus

CMP-9701CS Pre-Candidacy Prospectus

3 credits

The program shifts from coursework into formal dissertation preparation through the computer science prospectus stage.

Proposal I

DIS-9100A Components of the Dissertation Proposal

3 credits

The first proposal course structures the early dissertation design and clarifies the components that will carry the study forward.

Proposal II

DIS-9200A Completing the Dissertation Proposal

3 credits

The proposal sequence continues until the study design is sufficiently complete to support the later research phases.

Research

DIS-9300A Data Collection and Analysis

3 credits

The program then turns toward collecting evidence, analyzing results, and converting the research plan into actual findings.

Defense

DIS-9400A Manuscript and Defense

3 credits

The final stage centers on completing the manuscript and carrying the work through the formal defense process.

What I Learned By Course

Syllabus-backed summaries of what each documented course built.

Based on documented course learning outcomes and available syllabi, not inferred outcomes for undocumented classes.

TIM-8101

Principles of Computer Science

Completed / Foundations

Learned

The history and major theoretical foundations of computers and computer science.
How core computer science concepts, high-level programming, and problem solving connect to real-world use.

Mastered / Strengthened

A graduate-ready baseline in computer science research orientation, trends, and proposal framing.
Evaluating social and ethical issues tied to computing and technology.

TIM-8110

Programming Languages & Algorithms

Completed

Learned

Syntax, semantics, and structural tradeoffs across programming language paradigms and domain-specific languages.
Temporal and storage complexity analysis for common computational problems.

Mastered / Strengthened

Designing algorithms for computational problems and evaluating implementation tradeoffs.
Comparing language choices against problem requirements, efficiency, and research or professional use cases.

TIM-7010

Management of Computer Networks

Completed

Learned

How to determine organizational networking needs across remote use, distributed locations, outsourced services, cloud, BYOD, and IoT contexts.
High-level network monitoring, operations, capacity planning, reliability, and security design.

Mastered / Strengthened

Recommending network topologies and components for dependable, secure enterprise environments.
Evaluating emerging wired, wireless, and network-service options against present and future organizational needs.

TIM-8122

Distributed Algorithms and Parallel Computing

Completed

Learned

Parallel and distributed computing methods for scalable simulations and solution-driven architectures.
Hardware, network, and algorithm-optimization considerations behind modern parallel and distributed systems.

Mastered / Strengthened

Evaluating when parallel computing advances new technology solutions.
Applying distributed and parallel thinking to IoT, cybersecurity, and blockchain contexts.

TIM-7020

Databases & Business Intelligence

Completed

Learned

Advanced database concepts, structured versus unstructured data, data preparation, data modeling, and schema design.
How business intelligence, data warehouses, and analytic maturity shape enterprise decision-making.

Mastered / Strengthened

Improving data structures for accuracy, value, performance, and maintainability.
Constructing database schemas with metadata and connecting data architecture to business processes.

TIM-8131

Data Mining

Completed

Learned

Data mining fundamentals, data curation, preprocessing, clustering, similarity assessment, outlier and anomaly detection, and association analysis.
Prediction and classification methods across decision trees, support vector machines, shallow neural networks, and deep learning approaches.

Mastered / Strengthened

Implementing data mining algorithms and interpreting their results.
Developing neural-network-based classification approaches for complex data types and applied contexts.

TIM-8301

Principles of Cybersecurity

Completed

Learned

Security and risk management across asset security, architecture, communication and network security, IAM, assessment and testing, operations, and secure software development.
How governance, risk, compliance, and enterprise security operations fit together.

Mastered / Strengthened

Evaluating infrastructure risk and developing protective frameworks around threats and vulnerabilities.
Formulating governance, risk, and compliance strategies to improve organizational information security.

TIM-7031

Managing Risk, Security and Privacy in Information Systems

Completed

Learned

Theories, models, standards, frameworks, and policy perspectives used to manage risk, security, and privacy in organizations.
How emerging technologies, threats, ethics, and executive or strategic contexts affect organizational risk decisions.

Mastered / Strengthened

Evaluating gaps between theory and practice in risk, security, and privacy management.
Devising organizational risk-reduction strategies informed by literature, policy, and mitigation theory.

TIM-7101

Statistics with Technology Applications

Completed

Learned

Descriptive, inferential, and predictive statistics for information systems and technology research.
Probability, random variables, design of experiments, and statistical reporting for enterprise decisions.

Strengthened

Analyzing numeric data with multiple statistical methods and interpreting quantitative results.
Producing statistical output reports using technology tools to support decision-making.

Research Arc